4 June 2020
Waitangi Catchment Group Record of Actions
Meeting held via Zoom
on Thursday 4 June 2020, commencing at 7pm
Present:
NRC Councillor Marty Robinson
Hapu, John Tiatoa
Hapu, Rio Greening
Hapu, Ngati Kawa Taituha
Hapu, Arnold Maunsell
Hapu, Hirini Tane
Hapu, Albie Apiata
Cawthron Institute, Jim Sinner
Cawthron Institute, Marc Tadaki
Waimate North Landcare Trust, Darryl Way
NRC, Jenny Gillanders
Public, Trina Upperton
The meeting commenced at 7pm
Apologies
Steve McManus and Alex Jack
1. Update from Ko Waitangi Te Awa Trust - Ngati Kawa
The trust now has an email kowaitangiteawatrust@gmail.com and a Facebook page. They have been in communication with Marty Taylor of Papa Taiao Earthcare in the hopes of developing a project where involved school kids can gain NCEA credits.
The art competition to develop the trust’s logo has been launched at Bay of Islands Collage. The Kids are encouraged to incorporate the values of Kaitiakitanga and the kaitiaki known from traditional story telling within their design. They have also been asked to record a short presentation describing the background and meaning of their design.
The planting project has been divided into two activities covering two days.
Day two will be the planting day (date to be confirmed). Planning for the planting preparation (site spraying etc) is underway and Sustainable Coastlines has committed resources to boost the Waitangi Catchment Group funding supplied by NRC to increase the planting from 2160 plants to potentially 18,000 plants. Depending on how many of the seedlings grown for seed the previously collected are ready for planting.
Trina Upperton gave an update on the planting plan she is developing. There are still a lot of unknows with the site and what species will be available but Trina has developed a planting plan for the public area at the end of Lily Pond Lane which is a popular local swimming spot in summer. The planting site will need to be spot sprayed at least three weeks before planting. Horses have been grazing the area immediately downstream of the planting site keeping the weeds down making extension of the site feasible at reasonably short notice.
2. Jim Sinner (Cawthron institute) update on research into establishing sub-catchment groups to target water quality.
Jim introduced Marc Tadaki and Hirini Tane as part of the research team. Funding is coming from the Our Land and Water National Science Challenge. Which incorporates the Pā to Plate: connecting descendants to land through produce project.
The question of how to get neighbors working together to improve water quality and how to include tangata whenua was posed. Could existing predator control groups be a place to start.
Marty Robinson is going to work with Jim in the hopes of forming a sub-catchment group on a Waitangi river tributary that flows through his property. There is a possibility of Jim coming up in July to help progress the work.
3. Planning the next hui.
The Waitangi Catchment Group are encouraged to conduct informal meetings and support the projects individual members are working on. A date for a formal meeting hosted by the NRC is yet to be advised but will likely be in 4 to 6 months. However Jenny (land management adviser NRC) will be working with the Ko Waitangi Te Awa Trust, the Cawthron institute and others to progress their projects in the coming months. Jenny is available on 027 672 0003 jennyg@nrc.govt.nz during office hours for any enquiries .
The meeting concluded at 9pm